Practice
by gryffindormischief
Summary: Harry and Teddy have a boys night.
A/N: just the story is mine, not the characters etc. etc. also thanks to everyone who has read/reviewed/liked/etc. my other stories :)

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Teddy sat scribbling across the emerald construction paper at the small table wedged in his godfather's kitchen. As the blue haired little bundle of mischief reached for his glue stick, Harry stirred the macaroni cooking on the stove, debating where the exact line was between 'perfectly al dente' and 'this pasta is so hard its cutting my gums.' _How does Molly manage to do a full meal all at once for a house full of Weasleys_?

"Ha _rr_ y?" Teddy began, lingering slightly on the r's he still couldn't quite grasp properly.

Still with his back to the table Harry answered, "Yeah Ted?"

"Where's Gin-Gin?"

 _Luckily not here to realize I got you calling her that too._

"She is probably still at practice," he replied, looking toward the clock and thoughtfully leaning against the counter, "I guess she could be home by now."

"Why don' she come _here_?"

"Doesn't," he corrected absentmindedly, moving toward the refrigerator to grab a juice box for Teddy and a butterbeer for himself.

"Why _doesn't_ she come _here_?" Teddy sassed.

"Oi! Watch it little man. She doesn't come here because she doesn't live here."

" _Why_?"

"Because she lives near Holyhead, because she's on the Harpies. Try saying 'harpies.'"

Teddy's hair changed to the emerald color of the team jerseys as he quietly mumbled ' _harpies_ ' until he felt confident with the word, "Harpie _s_!"

Harry chuckled to himself at the emphatic toddler, before sobering to consider why Ginny _really_ didn't call his flat home.

 _If I could just be half as courageous as I allegedly am…Ron proposed…Ron! He and Hermione took seven years and I'm still slower than they are._

"Why can' Gin-Gin live here and appert- appter- atper-"

"Apparate," Harry interjected.

"Yeah, _that._ "

"Well she could – "

"Well why _don't_ she?"

" _Doesn't_ ," Harry answered absentmindedly, still mentally beating himself up for being _a bloody stupid nervous_ –

"Why doesn't she?"

"I'm a scared _git_ , that's why."

"Git."

"Oh no no no, do _not_ say git."

"Git!"

"Bloody hell, Ted."

"Bloody hell!"

"Oh so you can say that, but you can't remember the difference between 'doesn't' and "don't.'"

Teddy snickered. _You're a little git too_.

"I _miss_ her."

"Me too Teddy-Bear," Harry sighed, taking the perfectly cooked pasta off the flame and draining it in the sink.

"Whatcha gon' _do_?

Harry slid the pasta back into the pot, stirring in the melty cheese as he once again pondered his utter 'gittishness' that resulted in Ginny living in _Holyhead_ , away from _him_.

After spooning out to portions onto plates Harry walked over to the table, "Hey mate, we've got to get this table cleared off."

"But Harry! The goo's not _dry_ yet," the tiny metamorphmagus moaned, as his hair switched from the bright blue that he favored most days to a stormy grey.

Harry chortled, "All right old man, why don't we eat in front of the telly? Just don't tell Gran."

"Don' tell Gran 'bout telly," Teddy repeated.

"Got it in one."

"You still gotta get Gin to live _here_ ," sighed Teddy as he settled in, kneeling on chubby legs so he could reach the coffee table.

"I know Ted. Just have to bite the bullet – "

"Bullet."

"Get the stick out of my arse – "

"Arse."

"Say, 'Hey, love of my life, will you marry me even though I'm a slow, thick-headed, git?"

Teddy was prevented from responding as a result of the large mouthful of macaroni and cheese currently spilling out of his mouth, so he smiled widely – which resulted in more oozing cheese – and gave his godfather a supportive thumbs-up.

"Now I just have to say it when she's _around_ ," Harry sighed, pushing his dinner around the plate.

The two sat in silence, one pondering life altering questions and the other concentrating on making his hair turn the exact shade of cheddar cheese, eyes scrunching in consternation.

Suddenly, the fireplace flared green as a woman who Harry referred to in the privacy of his own mind as a 'red haired goddess' stumbled over the rug before catching her balance.

"Hey boys! What's up?" Ginny asked, toeing off her trainers.

Teddy leapt up and Harry attempted to do the same, although with less success as his lanky, knobby-kneed legs got tangled underneath the table. Eventually, he separated himself from the table, _bloody awkward gangly git_ , and stood to give Ginny a brief kiss on the cheek, "Hey Gin."

"Gin-Gin!"

"You're the only one I won't bat-bogey for calling me that."

" _Bogey_."

Ginny scooped Teddy up and perched him on her hip, "What have you two bachelors been up to this evening, then?"

"Me n' Harry have been talkin,'" Teddy answered gravely, looking toward Harry who nodded affirmatively.

"Oh really? What ever about?" Ginny asked with false seriousness, a smile tugging at her lips.

"Just bloke stuff – " Harry attempted to cut in, picking up the mostly empty dishes from the table and carrying them to the sink.

" – Ha _rr_ y was sayin' how he's gotta do something.'"

"Oh really? What? The laundry?" Ginny asked, eyeing dirty pants that had somehow ended up in the hallway, _boys_.

"Said he gotta talk to you."

"You want a drink Ginny?" Harry called from the kitchen.

"Sure! Butterbeer?"

Ginny and Teddy cuddled up on the couch, and Teddy continued his train of thought while Harry rummaged in the kitchen. Sensing this was her chance to get some answers from her informant Ginny pounced.

"What's he going to talk to me about?"

"'s gonna stop bein' a git and ask you t' ma _rr_ y him."

Ginny froze as two bottles of butterbeer slipped from Harry's hands where he stood, still as a statute in the doorway. Teddy meanwhile fingered Ginny's long locks, concentrating on the exact shade for his own hair, completely oblivious to the bomb he'd just dropped. Harry numbly vanished the mess on the floor with a wave of his wand.

"I wan' show you my picture Gin _ny,_ " Teddy interjected, sliding off the couch cushion and toddling into the kitchen to swipe his still tacky art works off the table.

"Gin I –," Harry tried, finally making eye contact with his shocked girlfriend.

"Did you mean it?' she interrupted quickly.

"What?"

"Exactly what it sounded like…did – you – mean – it?" the redhead repeated.

Harry scratched the back of his head nervously, _stop fluffing your hair like a ponce_ , while Ginny stared, waiting.

"Yeah, yeah, I did."

With that, Ginny launched herself off the couch toward Harry, in a manner oddly similar to another kiss just four years earlier, closing all distance between them. Their lips automatically found each other, Harry stumbling slightly as Ginny wrapped her legs around his waist, but managing to remain upright.

After they broke apart, Harry rested his forehead against hers, "Would it be too much to hope that means yes?"

"Git," Ginny shot back, moving to kiss him again, "Of course it does," she murmured against his lips.

"Git!" Teddy exclaimed, reentering the living room and the conversation simultaneously.

The couple looked down toward Teddy, bright smiles splitting their faces, "Hey there Teddy-Bear."

Teddy tugged on Harry's trouser leg, "Can you put Gin _ny_ down so I can show her the pict- pitc- p-"

"I am dying to see your _picture,_ love," Ginny cut in, giving Harry a final peck before allowing both her feet to meet the soft pile of the rug again.

Once all three were situated on the couch, Teddy happily tucked his head under Ginny's chin and began to explain the multi-media masterpiece that included glitter, macaroni, colored paper, and what appeared to be a dust bunny. "It's _us_."

Ginny snuggled Teddy closer to her, "I _love_ it Ted."

Harry kissed the top of his godson's blue-haired head, "Hey, Teddy, guess what?"

Tearing his eyes away from the paper in his hands, Teddy looked up, " _What_?"

"You know how you asked Gin that question I was so nervous about?"

Teddy scratched his nose thoughtfully before looking at the artwork again, "Yeah, 'bout gettin' married, so she can come home _here,_ 'cause we _miss_ her," he mumbled.

Ginny chuckled as Harry replied, face reddening, "Yeah, that one. Well she said 'yes.' So Ginny and me are going to get married.

Teddy looked back and forth between them, eyes as wide as saucers, as if confirming the truthfulness of Harry's statement. Ginny nodded and smiled, while Harry rubbed Teddy's neon-colored mop of hair, "Well, what do you think mate?"

Teddy grinned, "Bloody hell."


End file.
